


polisci

by zoyanazya



Category: The Politician (TV 2019)
Genre: Completed, F/F, based off a line in vienna, james and mcafee fight for a hot second there, james and mcafee platonically, james doesn't go there but he helps her move in, like really, mcafee goes to college, mcafee meets a pretty girl, possibly a character study, set before vienna, the second chapter is really fluffy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:26:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21587584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zoyanazya/pseuds/zoyanazya
Summary: "Your first name is a last name.""So I've been told."
Relationships: McAfee Westbrook/Original Female Character
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	1. McAfee and James

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi this was only supposed to be one chapter but i got caught up in writing drama and confrontation so now its two

“So,” said James, after ten minutes of silence on their drive. “You’re really leaving. Off to your own adventures, I suppose.” He tapped his fingers rhythmically on the steering wheel. 

“I didn’t think you were so sentimental as to be one of those people who call college an ‘adventure,’ James,” McAfee responded, “And Payton will be fine. You know as well as I do that just because he’s not a Harvard man doesn’t mean he has no future.” 

James rolled his eyes at her. “There are so many things wrong with that statement.” 

McAfee raised her hands in exasperation, “What?” 

“Maybe if you weren’t so focused on your application to Columbia you would know,” James aimed the words so they’d sting. 

McAfee wasn’t about to feel guilty for caring about her future. It wasn’t as if James didn’t care about his, too. As an intelligent person, she thought he’d understand. She was confused, and if she was being perfectly honest, a little annoyed. “You don’t hold a grudge. It’s childish.” 

James always held a sharp and matter-of-fact tone, but he seemed especially sharp and matter-of-fact when he said, “I’m going to NYU. With Payton.”

Without me, McAfee thought, though she was self aware, and recognized it would be a very hypocritical thing to say in that moment. All McAfee could think to say out loud was, “Oh. I didn’t know.” She meant it to sound casual, but the hurt sank in to her words. She didn’t want him to pity her, but James was far from it. 

“You never asked. You never asked me what I was doing after we graduated. You never even cared about leaving me. Even now, your first thought was Payton,” James’ voice wavered, “But what about me, McAfee? We’ve known each other for a long time, and you’ve already forgotten me. I was there for you after you and Skye broke up when no one else was. Why are you never there for me?”

It was important to note that though McAfee was a stubborn person, she wasn’t a person who was blind to her own intentions. And she knew she hadn’t forgotten James. She’d just... been focused on other things. Like Columbia. She was allowed that, wasn’t she? 

So McAfee, as was her specialty, started talking. Very fast. 

“First of all, Skye and I didn’t break up, she was arrested. Secondly, you weren’t there for me because you wanted to be, you were there because you had to be, and because you needed me to deal with Payton. And the reason I thought of Payton first was because you care about him so damn much. Don’t act like we’re best friends again all of the sudden, because if you wanted to pretend that, you should have started way earlier than when you were on your way to drive me to college, that I got into, that you didn’t. I know you cared about his campaign much more than you cared about me- and yes, I cared about the campaign, too, but at least I remembered that there were other people in life besides political adversaries!”

James tried to talk, but McAfee interrupted him. “I wasn’t finished,” she said, “And as for me forgetting about you when I was working on my college application, it wasn’t as if you were really working towards our blossoming friendship. If I remember, you were busy with your friend Alice- which really makes me doubt how much you truly care about Payton. And then you never even told me you were going to NYU, so don’t act like I should have suddenly switched my life plans to follow you when you hadn’t so much as spoken to me for months after the election.” 

James seemed to be taking in all the information McAfee had just thrown at him. “Don’t bring Alice into this.” 

“You slept together.” 

“That was a long time ago, and you shouldn’t be involved in that at all,” James finished for her. 

McAfee stared at him blankly. “That didn’t sound like an apology.” 

“I don’t think an apology is what you really want,” James said. “I mean, let’s admit it. Though Payton would say otherwise, we’re very different from him in the simple fact that we put ourselves first. Payton is emotional. You and I are not.” He seemed to reflect on their current conversation. “Well, not usually.” 

“What are you trying to say to me?” 

James sighed, at her not understanding, and at the fact of the matter. “I’m saying that we’re not friendly people. We do what’s best for ourselves. I’m saying maybe neither of us have been the most supportive over the last few months- maybe we’ve never been the most supportive. I think we should move on and accept that we know each other well, and that it wouldn’t be fair to either of us if we stopped talking over this.” 

McAfee nodded. With being a logical person came a certain degree of loyalty. And she’d known James most of her life. 

So maybe they’d never be the kind of friends who told each other their deepest darkest secrets and knew everything about each other. That was fine. She and James had a certain understanding that only came when two highly intelligent people united under a common goal. 

That goal, for a while, had been winning the election. Then, they’d done that. Then they’d had to save Payton. They’d done that. After that, the only logical step for the two highly intelligent people had been to find a new goal. Unfortunately, they hadn’t had the same one. 

McAfee had gotten into Columbia. James had gotten himself and Payton into NYU- and cleaned up after the mess made by Infinity and her boyfriend that McAfee herself had been too afraid to face. 

And she’d been heartbroken about Skye- who’d left with the taste of some truly hurtful words in her mouth. Who’d told her she loved her and then taken it all away. Who’d tried to kill Payton. Who probably hated McAfee for turning her in and landing her with home detention and mandatory anger management courses. 

Whether politically motivated or not, James had been there for her after that. Not that he’d held her while she cried or anything- and she did cry, often. But he had let her know that he was still on her side after all this, even if Payton still held a grudge over her because of what Skye did. Of course, she knew Payton would forgive her. It was his way. He’d forgiven James after he slept with Alice, he’d forgiven Infinity for millions of things she’d messed up (McAfee was not the biggest fan of Infinity), and he’d probably end up forgiving Skye for trying to kill him. 

But McAfee still kept to herself after that. And that, she had to admit, had an effect on her relationship with James. 

While she wondered if it might be appropriate to pull James into a hug, realized that would be something neither of them would get much enjoyment out of. She thought maybe a handshake would suffice, but he was driving and she preferred not to get into an accident before her first semester at university had even started. 

So, she reasoned that it would be best to tell him how she felt. 

“It’s not easy being alone, James. Though I handle it better than others. I needed someone, and you were ready to be there. But I pushed you away. Or, at least, I let you forget about me and I let myself forget about you. I don’t want that again. I need someone.”

James was quiet for a moment, and then spoke. “I need someone, too, McAfee.”


	2. McAfee and Eden

James dropped her off in her dorm a few hours after their conversation. The rest of the car ride had been spent in not silence, exactly, but more of a comfortable quiet. McAfee loved comfortable quiet. If you were able to be near someone and were close enough to not feel the need to fill the space with words every second, that was a good sign. 

He didn’t stay long because he, as he put it, “had to get back to Payton.” McAfee didn’t take it personally. He told her they were leaving for New York City tomorrow. McAfee didn’t take it personally. He told her Alice was coming with them, even if only for a while. McAfee didn’t take it personally. 

McAfee tried not to take things personally, as a general rule. She didn’t think it was fair to not allow others to judge her when she judged others fairly frequently. Unfortunately for her, general rules were hard to follow when you were a stubborn person who missed her friends. Fortunately for her, she was also very good at pretending. She sent James on his way. She analyzed his movements to try and deduce whether or not he was happy to be leaving or not. She couldn’t tell either way. She settled on relieved. 

Ten minutes after he left- ten minutes in which McAfee spent setting up her desk- a girl arrived in the dorm. 

The first thing McAfee noticed about her was her bright rainbow socks that came up to her knees. The girl had short, striking black hair that fell to her shoulders. She wore an oversized jean jacket and a red striped shirt. 

Not wanting to be awkward, McAfee stuck out her hand for the strange (really pretty, she had to admit) girl to shake. This, apparently, was the wrong thing to do, for it was sometimes seen as odd for a nineteen year old to want to shake hands, even in such a prestigious school as they attended. 

Luckily for her, the girl was the sort of person who didn’t mind different, and the sort of person who believed handshakes shouldn’t have gone out of style so soon, so she took McAfee’s hand. 

There were a few short, but noticeable seconds before they both simultaneously realized that one of them was expected to initiate conversation. 

“Hey-” 

“Hi-” 

They’d both spoken the words at once. McAfee flushed pink and hoped the girl didn’t notice. McAfee didn’t blush, normally. She wasn’t enthusiastic about breaking that habit. Blushing was a sign of nervousness, and McAfee (as was another of her many general rules) didn’t get nervous. Well, not usually. She found herself absentmindedly straightening down her suit. (She did wear a suit on the first day of school. It was a habit she’d picked up from Payton). 

“You first,” she said. 

“I’m Eden,” the girl said, laughing. McAfee realized the girl might have noticed her blush, which just made her blush even more, which just made Eden smile even more. Eden didn’t blush. She was too confident for that sort of thing, McAfee could tell. She was just one of those people that radiated their confidence. McAfee didn’t mind. She liked to think she was one of those people too, but with this girl… it was different. 

“I’m McAfee,” McAfee said. 

Eden laughed again. “Your first name is a last name.” It wasn’t posed as a question. 

“So I’ve been told,” McAfee responded. Which was the truth. She’d been told on many occasions that she should have a better, more feminine first name, but no one had ever said it like that before. Like it made her special. It was interesting to believe that this girl who McAfee hardly knew could already make her feel special and make her blush (which she never did) and give her butterflies in her stomach. 

“I like it,” Eden said. 

“Oh, you do? Um, thanks. You’re really pretty, or, um, you have a really pretty name,” McAfee said. “Like the Garden of Eden, right?” 

“Yeah,” she said, “My dad really loves it.” 

“So you’re my roommate?” McAfee asked, hoping she would say yes. Of course she’d say yes, McAfee thought to herself, because why else would she be in this room? 

“Yeah, I am. I’m so glad you’re my roommate… I thought I’d have someone…” Eden looked at McAfee and started blushing furiously, and started stammering her words, which (though she didn’t know Eden very well) McAfee could tell was a very un-Eden-like thing to do. “I mean- of course I wanted to… I didn’t know you would be so- or, well, I’m just glad you’re my roommate, is all.” 

It was McAfee’s turn to laugh, but not at Eden. 

“I’m glad you’re my roommate, too,” she said. 

Eden spoke up, “Hey, listen, would you want to go grab a coffee? There’s a really good place just off campus that my cousin used to work at?” 

McAfee smiled again. “I would, yeah.” 

And so McAfee left behind her perfectly organized desk with her pencils organized by color and her books organized by subject. They walked out of the room that they’d already spent less than five minutes in, and through the hallway. 

Eden’s arms swung at her side, her silver bracelets making clinging sound as she walked. The tips of her fingertips brushed McAfee’s hand. She held her breath. McAfee took her hand in her own, and suddenly she didn’t feel so alone anymore. 

For the first time since the election, since her fight with James, since she broke up with Skye, she felt whole again.


End file.
